Marian Best
Addictions Clinical Supervisor

Over 20 years experience working with individuals struggling with substance use, alcoholism, mental health and its impact on their determinants of health. I sit on the Waterloo Regional Integrated Drug Strategy including the Steering Committee as well as the Regional Opioid Advisory Committee.

Education: Certified Canadian Addiction Counsellor, Certified Canadian Addictions Clinical Supervisor and Member in good standing of the Canadian Addiction Counsellors Federation. Over the course of my career I studied, Behavioural Sciences/Social Service Worker, Philosophy and Addiction Studies at McMaster University.

Services offered include assessments, treatment and referral options, collaboration with justice, health and counselling services and facilitating recovery support groups for families and consumers.

I believe all people deserve to feel valued as part of our community and have the opportunity to work through the continuum of care from harm reduction to abstinence. Treatment matching to ensure a client centered approach and offering a circle of care provides an opportunity for healthy recovery. I am incredibly thankful for a generous community which supports our recovery homes and social enterprise “Harvesting Hope” This helps our residents feel valued and offers hope for a better future.

Grace R.A. Brown, RP, MA, CCC  
Psychotherapist, PAR Facilitator

Education: M.A. Spiritual Care & Psychotherapy, Wilfrid Laurier University
Certified Member of Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA)
Facilitator for Prepare Enrich Couples’ Counselling
Qualifying Member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO)

Experience: Clinical work with individuals, couples, families and groups including:
Stress/Anxiety; Depression; Relationship Conflicts; Aging; Career Counselling; Grief and Loss.

Philosophy: Strength-based, client-centered approach.  With warm, compassionate, and quality care; I consider it an honour to be with clients on their journey to wellness.

Anita Byrnell
Recovery Home and Addictions Support Worker, PAR (Partner Assault Response Program)-Partner Contact

Education: Conestoga College; Social Service Worker Diploma

Experience: Over 4 years of experience working directly with people who are in the height of their addictions, many experiencing homelessness and struggling for a way out. Often individuals were also experiencing difficulty navigating the support systems and struggled with mental health.

Area of Specialty: Engaging with individuals experiencing homelessness, addiction, and or mental health. Building Relationships to assist these individuals to find purpose, wellness, and to navigate through community systems.

Providing two unique roles, one within the recovery home and the other working with partners of domestic violence, both allow me the opportunity to connect with appropriate resources. I encourage the women in our recovery homes to believe in themselves and to develop a sense of autonomy and self efficacy while supporting them through this difficult journey.

Derek Campbell, M.S.W., R.S.W.
Clinical Director/Registered Social Worker

Education: Masters of Social Work (MSW)

Years of Experience: 13

Areas of Speciality: Anger, addiction, family violence, depression, anxiety/stress, adolescent mental health, couples/family.

Philosophy: My approach is strength-based and client-centered. I draw from a range of therapeutic approaches and ensure our work is collaborative and allows for effective goal development and problem management.

Valerie Clark, M.Ed., R. P., C.C.C.
Registered Psychotherapist

Education: Master’s in Education with Specialization in Counselling
Certified Member of Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA)
Registered member with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO)

Experience: Clinical work with individuals in both English and French including: Stress/Anxiety, Depression, Grief and loss, Addictions, Anger management, Self-esteem and Trauma.

Philosophy: My philosophy is to provide a safe and supportive environment for my clients to embark on their journey towards change. I do so by using strength-based and client-centered approaches.

Brenda Clements 
Community Program Coordinator

Education: Conestoga College, Social Service Worker

Years of Experience: 17

Areas of Specialty: Programming-group homes Family coach Homelessness (displaced youth) Seniors (Alzeimer’s, wellness, social interaction) Youth (homelessness, displaced youth, programming in group homes), working with low income families.

Lisa Hillion
Recovery Home & Addictions Support Worker

Education: Community and Addiction Support Worker Diploma

Experience: I have worked with people who struggle with addiction for over 5 years, including a women’s residential treatment facility.  I also bring to this organization recovery from lived experience.

Areas of Speciality:  Coping skills, prioritizing, relapse prevention, relationship building, harm reduction

Personal Philosophy:  Lisa begins each day being grateful for the opportunities she has been given and earned since finding her own sobriety.  She supports the men and women of the sober living homes by living the example she tries to teach.  She believes primarily in honesty and integrity and lives her life with these important traits in mind.

Don Johnson
Addictions Counsellor

Starting in the area of outreach support to our communities’ marginalized people, he pursued his career and has worked in the field of addictions for the past 14 years.

Education: A member in good standing of the Canadian Addiction Counsellors Federation and a Certified Canadian Addiction Counsellor having studied at McMaster University in the Addiction Studies Program.

Don currently facilitates groups including Relapse Prevention/Recovery Support Groups, provides addiction counselling focusing on treatment assistance, referrals and collaboration with community partners and supports our men’s recovery home.

Don’s personal philosophy is every person matters and is deserving of help.

Tess Klaver, M.A., Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
Psychotherapist, Women’s PAR Facilitator

Education: B.H.A in Sex, Marriage and Family Studies from Waterloo University, M.A. Spiritual Care & Psychotherapy from Wilfrid Laurier University
Qualifying Member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO)

Experience: Organizational and advocacy work regarding LGBTQ and feminist issues, disability counselling and support, individual and group work with women and LGBTQ folks.

Areas of focus: Issues intersecting with the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ people as well as issues specific to LGBTQ+ identity, single incident trauma, complex and developmental trauma, grief, anxiety and depression.

Philosophy: Strength-based, client-centered and trauma-informed approach utilizing both bottom-up and top-down therapeutic methods. I believe that it is important to contextualize problems within the systems and environments that shape the beliefs we hold about ourselves. I also believe that our bodies contain inherent wisdom about what we need in order to heal, and that a foundation of trust and safety within a therapeutic partnership can support clients in connecting to this knowledge.

Cecil Kuwabara, M.S.W., R.S.W
Individual, Couple & Family Therapist

Education: Masters of Social Work (M.S.W.) Registered Member of the College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (RSW).

Years of Experience: 35 years of clinical counselling/therapy.

Areas of Speciality: Couple Counselling (Restorative Work) Individual therapy dealing with Reactive Depression and Anxiety. Utilizing a Solution -Focused, Didactic method to produce change and healing.

Personal Philosophy:  To provide support, information and encouragement to clients during their times of distress.

Nancy Kuwabara, M.A., RP
Registered Psychotherapist; PAR Facilitator

Registered Member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario – #003042

Experience: Clinical work with individuals, couples, families and groups including:

• anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, self-esteem.
• relationship conflicts, separation/divorce, domestic violence, marriage and family solutions.
• use of creative play/art therapy approaches with children and adolescents.

Mission Statement: To encourage and serve clients with understanding, integrity, and compassion through which hope and vision may be realized.

Mary Luard, MSW, RSW, RP
Registered Psychotherapist

Registered Psychotherapist (College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario)
RSW (Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers)
Master of Social Work, Wilfrid Laurier University
Certified Emotionally Focused Therapist for Couples and Families
Advanced Level Somatic Experiencing for Trauma (Nov./18)

Years of Experience: 13 years
Couples and families (EFT)
Post traumatic anxiety and depression

I trust in the power of attachment, in the healing power of emotion when followed and in the body nervous system’s innate ability to self-restore.

Sabina Santilli, B.S.W., R.S.W., M.A.
Therapist/VAW Coordinator

Education: Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology, Bachelor of Social Work

Years of Experience: Over 20 years of experience working with adults, families, children and adolescents.
Based on my philosophy that we all desire to experience a sense of belonging and to live a happy, productive and creative life, I encourage, support and empower my clients to deal with life’s challenges and build a better future.

Areas of Specialty: Trauma work around sexual abuse and family violence, separation and divorce, depression, anxiety, loss and grief recovery, parenting utilization of play and art techniques with children and adolescents.

Nicole Schiener, M.Ed., RP, CCC
Registered Psychotherapist

Education: Masters of Education in Counselling Psychology, 2002
Member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO)
Certified with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association
Certified Gottman Educator

Years of Experience: 15 years

Experience: Clinical work with individuals, couples, families and groups including:
Stress and Anxiety Management, Healthy Relationships, Grief and Loss, Self-Compassion, Transition to Parenthood,  Partner Assault Response (PAR) Program and Domestic Abuse survivors and perpetrators.

Suzanne Trotman
Registered Psychotherapist RP, M.A.,

Education: M.A. Spiritual Care & Psychotherapy, Wilfrid Laurier University; Diploma in  Early Childhood Education (Seneca College); Certificate in Play Therapy (CAPT);  High Conflict Certificate (High Conflict Institute);  Positive Discipline Certificate; Circle of Security; Death and Dying Studies(WLU)
Member of Canadian Association for Play Therapy (CAPT)

Experience: Clinical work with individuals, couples, families, children.

Areas of specialties:  Play Therapy, Grief and Loss, High Conflict (New Ways for Families), Circle of Security, Attachment, Parenting and Child Development,  Anxiety and Depression.

Philosophy: Everyone has what they need within them to heal themselves.  Our role is to walk along side and bring awareness to those strengths and help individuals build and integrate those strengths, gain new skills and access resources  to thrive as they navigate  the curveballs in life. Just as the doctor doesn’t prescribe the same medicine to everyone, my lens is strength based; I use a prescriptive approach using different modalities that are based on the individual’s needs and capacity.

Combined years of experience: 16